Green Beans

Green Beans Recipes

 

Availability: August-September

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. To reduce condensation in the bag, slip a paper towel in with them to absorb some of it.  They should last at least a week and usually up to two.

How to eat: Very fresh beans are exquisite steamed until tender and served with butter. To steam, snap off tops and place in a pan with one inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil and steam for 5-10 minutes until tender. Beans can also be eaten raw as a snack, put into soups, or salads.

How to preserve:  Freeze them by snapping the tops, chopping into desired length or leaving full, blanching for 2-3 minutes, cool, and pack into freezer bags.

OR make quick pickles!  See below for a recipe.

Blistered Green Beans
  • 1 lb. green beans, ends removed
  • 4 TBSP olive oil, divided
  • Salt to taste
  • 3-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Preheat broiler to high. Add 2 TBSP oil, garlic, and chili flakes to small skillet. Heat on low. Place green beans on foil lined baking sheet. Toss with 2 TBSP oil and salt. Broil until starting to char, 2-4 min. Toss. Broil until blistered to your liking, 2-4 min. Turn oil up to medium and stir until garlic begins to brown at edges. Toss oil mixture with beans and serve hot.

Cold Green Bean and Cucumber Salad
  • 1 pound green beans, ends snapped
  • 2 TBLS olive oil
  • 2 TBLS vinegar of choice (red or white wine, cider etc.)
  • 1 TBLS parsley, minced (or other fresh herb)
  • 1-2 TBLS scallion or onion, minced
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steam beans until just tender. Drain well. Chop into 1” bites. Toss with oil, vinegar, parsley, scallion, salt and pepper. Chill. Add cucumber and serve.

Easy Delicious Green Beans, 2 ways

Basic Green Bean preparation:  Bring a large pot of salted (1 TSP) water to a boil. Add 1 pound green beans and simmer until desired tenderness, 4-8 minutes. Drain well. Proceed with your desired flavoring style. Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

South Indian-Style Green Beans: heat 1-2 TBLS oil in skillet, add below spices for 10 seconds, add cooked beans, stir to coat, and serve.

  • ½ TSP each cumin seeds, mustard seeds, sesame seeds
  • cayenne pepper to taste

 

Asian-Style Green Beans: add the following mixture to coat your hot cooked beans.

  • 1 TBLS soy sauce
  • ½ TSP toasted sesame oil
  • 1-2 TSP fresh ginger minced (or ¾ TSP dried ginger
  • toasted sesame seeds to garnish
     
Eggplant, Summer Squash, and Green Bean Curry
  • Cooking oil
  • 1 garlic scape, minced (or 1 clove garlic)
  • 1 TBSP fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
  • ½ pound green beans, cut into 2” pieces
  • 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 2” x ½” x ½” sticks
  • 1-3 summer squash, cut into 2” x ½” x ½” sticks
  • Salt to taste
  • 2-3 TSP lime or lemon rind, grated
  • Curry powder or paste to taste
  • 1 cup+ coconut milk
  • 1-2 TBLS cilantro, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in skillet. Sauté garlic and ginger for 10 seconds. Add green beans and squash and sauté 5 mins, stirring. Add eggplant sauté 5 min more. Add rest of ingredients except cilantro and simmer until veggies are tender. Garnish with cilantro.
 

Garlicky Green Beans Stir-fry
  • green beans, snapped and cut into 2" lengths
  • cooking oil
  • garlic, minced to taste
  • onion, slivered
  • salt to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons water or more if needed
  • 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce, soy sauce, or fish sauce (optional)

Heat skillet on high with oil.  Add garlic and onion and cook for 30 seconds, stirring, do not burn.  Add beans and salt and cook 2 min, stirring constantly.  Add water.  Cover.  Steam 5 min, checking to see if you need to add just a little bit more water.  Uncover and add sauce of choice and cook a couple more minutes to coat. 

Green Bean and Tomato Salad
  • ¾ pound green beans, snapped and cut into 2” long pieces
  • 2 TBLS onion, slivered
  • 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or regular tomatoes, chopped
  • Large handful basil, finely sliced

Steam green beans until tender crisp. Cool in ice water and drain. Combine above ingredients in bowl and pour over the following dressing, whisked together:

  • 3 TBLS olive oil
  • 2 TBLS lemon juice
  • 1-2 tsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
Green Beans Lebanese-style

This has become my very favorite green bean recipe of all time.  Delicious!  Easy to make a lot and even easier to reheat! 

1 pound green beans, ends snapped and cut in half
1 onion, chopped
2-4 tablespoons oil
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste), minced
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch of sugar or maple syrup

Heat oil in skillet and add onion, sauteeing until translucent.  Add green beans and saute until browning, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to boil and simmer until desired tenderness, about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Green Beans with Almonds

½ pound green beans, whole
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges

Steam or boil green beans until crisp tender about 5-8 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to cool.  Melt butter in skillet on medium-low and sauté almonds until golden.  Add beans and stir to coat and until warmed.  Season and serve with lemons.

Green Beans with Tomatoes
  • 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 TBLS olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes, any kind
  • 8-10 black olives, chopped
  • Salt, pepper + chopped basil, to taste

Heat oil on medium in skillet. Add garlic, stir for a few seconds. Then add beans. Stir to coat, about 1 min. Add tomatoes and black olives. Cover and simmer until beans are desired tenderness, 20+ min. Season to taste with salt, pepper, basil. Serve hot.

Joanna’s Green Bean Salad

This is an approximation of the salad that was served at the 2016 Cooperators of the Year event at the farm.  Thanks Joanna and PCSWCD for making such great food!

¾ lb. Green beans, ends snapped and chopped
¼ cup onion, minced
1 cup carrots, grated
Fresh or dried herb (she used basil), optional
4 TBLS olive oil
1 TBLS vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the veggies and toss.  Whisk together herb, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to make a dressing.  Pour over salad and marinate in fridge overnight.  Serve cold.

Quick Pickled Dilly Beans
  • green beans (or wax beans), tops snapped and enough to fill a pint jar standing up
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons salt 
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey, or to taste
  • 1 sprig fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed, divided)
  • 2 small cloves garlic (peeled), or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

Lay your beans into your pint jar standing up and fill it up.  Add the spices to the jar.  Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil and then pour over jar up to the shoulder of the jar.  Put on a lid.  Let cool and refrigerate for 24 hours and they're ready to eat.  Will last a couple of weeks of good eating right out of your fridge.  Yum!

Roasted Green Bean Salad

I love make-ahead meals including veggie dishes that are easy to pull out of the fridge and serve with other leftover main dish material.  This is one of those that I use often during green bean season.

olive oil
green beans
cloves of garlic, optional
salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing per pound of raw beans:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar (we use cider)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease baking sheet.  Lay green beans whole (and optional garlic cloves) out on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat.  Salt and pepper to taste and roast until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly then pour dressing over beans and let marinate in fridge until you want to eat them!  Delish!
 

Sara’s Parmesan Beans

1-2 TBLS butter or cooking oil
Beans, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
parmesan cheese and salt to taste

Sauté beans and onion in butter or oil until desired tenderness.  Add garlic and sauté another minute.  Serve hot on plates and top with parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Steak Lover's Salad

2 cups green beans, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tbls cooking oil
1 cup sweet onion, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)
2 cups lettuce, torn into pieces
8 oz steak


Heat 2 Tbls cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sauté the beans, garlic, and thyme until the beans slightly soften, about 5 min. Add one cup water and simmer 15 min. Drain. In a skillet, heat three Tbls cooking oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and optional mushrooms until soft and beginning to brown, about 10 min. Broil or pan-fry the steak to desired doneness. Cut into thin strips. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Top with a dressing of 2 Tbls olive oil, 1 Tbls lemon juice, ¾ tsp prepared mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. Serves 2-4.